Native American Tuition Waiver Advances College Access

Native American Tuition Waiver Advances College Access
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The University of Maine waives tuition for Native students.
This includes recent high school grads and non-traditional students alike.

Students can use the waiver at ANY University of Maine campus for:

  • Undergraduate degree,
  • Graduate degree, 
  • Non degree seeking course work, or 
  • J.D. at the University of Maine School of Law.

What's included?

  • Tuition for any regular credit-bearing course  
  • Mandatory campus fees
  • Opportunity to apply for a separate Room and Board Grant

Who is eligible?

  • Citizens of Maine Wabanaki Nations
  • A biological child or grandchild of a citizen of the Wabanaki Nations
  • Citizens of other federally recognized North American Indian Tribes
  • Must be a Maine resident for at least 12 months

What's not included?

  • Medical/ insurance expenses
  • Fines and fees not required for enrollment
  • Books and supplies
  • On-campus parking passes

In the University of Maine System, Native students have maintained a low but consistent enrollment between 0.9- 1.1% of the total student population since 2018. In Fall 2019, Native students were 1.1% of the enrolled student population. This percentage represents a total of approximately 300 Native students in an overall enrollment of nearly thirty-thousand students system wide.

Native students have access to Tribal Colleges and Universities throughout the country. These institutions are, in many cases, free to Tribal members. A rising number of mainstream universities have implemented tuition waivers for Native students.  The University of Maine System has offered a tuition waiver since 1934.  

For further information contact

Native American Programs
207-581-1417
[email protected]
[email protected]
5717 Corbett Hall, Room 208, Orono, Maine 04469

Resources

Follow the links below for more details on the Native American Waiver and Education Program and issues facing Indigenous students.  

The Wabanaki Legal News is published by Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Inc. and is funded in part through a grant from the Legal Services Corporation. The views expressed by the authors in this newsletter are not necessarily shared by Pine Tree Legal Assistance or its staff.

Indigenous Peoples Unit
Lisa Chase, Managing Attorney
Suzanne Burke, Staff Attorney
Sadie Harris, Staff Attorney

115 Main St. #2
Bangor, ME 04401

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